Harris Vs. Trump Debate In Philadelphia: 5 Things To Know

PHILADELPHIA, PA — The City of Brotherly Love will take front and center on the national stage Tuesday night as the first ever presidential debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris takes place.

Here are five things you need to know ahead of the event.

Time and location

The debate will begin at 9 p.m. at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.

Latest polls

Harris has erased the significant lead that Trump held over President Joe Biden, and now leads Trump in most national polls. According to an aggregate of polls from RealClearPolitics, she holds a 1.4 point lead over Trump.

In Pennsylvania, one of the most crucial battleground states in the election, the race is effectively a tie, according to the same aggregate of polls. Three of the last seven polls came out dead even, including a CBS poll on Sept. 6, while Trump narrowly led three in August, and Harris led one by four points. It's important to note the margin of error on each of these polls is between 2.9 and 4.7 points.

History and context

While Democratic candidates debated in Philadelphia twice during the 2008 primary, and multiple vice presidential debates have been held in the city, Pennsylvania has not hosted a presidential debate since Gerald Ford debated Jimmy Carter at the Walnut Street Theatre in 1976.

Presidential debates may have never played such a figurative role in the electoral process as they did this past June, when Biden's struggles against Trump along with plummeting poll numbers sent waves of panic in the Democratic party that ultimately led to the president's decision to not run for a second term.

More than 50 million people watched that first debate between Biden and Trump.

What to expect

In race with such a razor thin margin, in an age of social media delivering three second sound bites to millions, any small event or appearance can have an outsized impact.

Will Baker, director of New York University Global Debate Program, believes that the key for Harris will be to quickly capitalize on "openings" that Trump provides, which Biden was unable to grasp.

"I think it’s a lot like sports," he said. "She should really go back and watch the tape from the Biden-Trump debate. There were so many openings that Trump left on the table, and her ability to pounce is why she was selected for this."

But as with any debate or political spectacle in the modern era, it will be less about policy, than appearance. While this was even true 60 years ago, as when Richard Nixon's profuse sweating during his debate with John F. Kennedy likely cost him public opinion points, it's even more true in the age of Trump.

"The key thing you have to remember is that Trump is not a normal politician who wants to talk about policy," Baker added. "He’s an entertainer and a brawler. If you go in there to throw facts at him while he’s throwing insults, it’s a lot harder to have the debate come out cogent. And if you lower yourself to his level, very often he still wins. … It’s very hard to elevate the debate, so it will be interesting if her campaign figures out how to do that."

Thus the most influential points may be scored by the politician whose demeanor and appearance come off the best, as opposed to the actual substance of what is said.

Street closures

Arch and Market streets will be shut down between 4th and 7th streets. Race Street will also be closed.

The 6th Street exit of I-676 eastbound will be closed starting Tuesday morning. I-676 westbound is expected to remain open, but may close if necessary.

Residents and drivers in the area can expect an increase in traffic throughout the day Tuesday, and late into the night.